Choosing a career is one of the most critical decisions you will make in your lifetime. And it is a choice most do not make lightly because it involves education, training, proving yourself in the position and building a following and reputation. That certainly is the case in becoming a massage therapist.
Education and training for a massage career can take anywhere from six months to two years. The next step in becoming a massage therapist is to get your licensing, which can take 1 to 3 months, and includes prepping for the test and getting license from the state. After that, you are ready to launch your career, which will involve finding a job or launching your own practice, building a base of clients, and establishing your reputation.
While the marketplace can dictate how long it takes to get a foothold in the marketplace, it is reasonable to expect finding employment will take several months and anywhere from six months to a year before you begin to experience financial security.
Bottom line, becoming a massage therapist takes dedication and an investment of your time and financial resources. That said, the average lifespan of a massage therapist is five to seven years, according to several resources. After making the investment, why such a brief time? Reasons include burnout, injury, and the challenge of developing solid skills that attracts and secure a strong client base. [1]
However, there are massage therapists whose massage career far exceeds the average and who enjoy a massage career for decades taking the proper self-care to protect their body and avoiding burnout or mental fatigue.
Care for yourself on the job
There are things you need to do while working to ensure you are in top form.
Create the appropriate workspace: Have enough space around your table so you can move comfortably and maintain good body mechanics. Make sure your table height is appropriate to support good posture.
Protect hands and wrists: Preventing injury to your hands and wrists is of the utmost importance in your ability to continue to care for clients. A self-care regimen for hands and wrist for a massage career, according to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMT), should include warm up stretches before you begin work; using effort-sparing tools; spacing your workload, and using ice, heat, and other anti-inflammatory measures. [2]
Practice good posture: You are on your feet a good part of the day in a massage career, so it is important to strengthen your core and lower back to maintain good posture. You can find exercises to do this online or join a health club or gym.
Alternate between standing and sitting: Sitting for prolonged periods of time can be unhealthy, increasing the risk of organ damage, colon cancer, poor circulation, and soft bones. However, standing all the time is not the answer. You want to seek moderation by alternating sitting and standing. If you must stand for prolonged periods, it is important to practice good body mechanics.[3]
Take breaks Take breaks between sessions to unwind, stretch, and catch up on other duties, like checking calls and emails.
Mind your breathing: Breathing helps to change your physical and emotional state. In massage, use your breath to balance and center your body for ease and fluidity of movement during sessions. You want to: close your eyes, focus on your breath, and take a few deep breaths by inhaling through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth. Breathe throughout the session. If you feel tension or pain, take a deep breath.[4]
Stay hydrated: Your cells, organs and tissues all need water to function properly and regulate proper temperature. Since, you lose water throughout the day by breathing, sweating and digestion, drink fluids and eat foods that contain water to rehydrate.
Get massages: Who better than you understand the value of massage to prevent injuries, relieve stress and cleanse the body of toxins? Take the advice you give your own clients and try to get a massage once a week or at least every other week. Getting a massage also helps you learn new techniques or ways to modify your own.
Other self-care tips
Self-care tips to feel and do your best when becoming a massage therapist also include:
Get enough sleep: A lack of sufficient and quality shuteye means you wake up exhausted the next day, unprepared to focus on work or whatever other responsibilities you have. Even worse, lack of sleep, especially on a regular basis, can lead to chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression.
Eat right: While eating right is important for everyone, the physical demands on a licensed massage therapist makes optimum nutrition imperative. As noted in Massage Magazine, “When the fingers, forearms, shoulders and back contract with intensity and force, the energy requirements of the massage therapist become equal to the competitive athlete, endurance runner and bodybuilder.”[5]
Exercise: Long hours standing and the strain on your joints as you work on clients can take their toll. Stretching and daily exercise can provide relief from your own sore back, shoulders, feet, and fingers.
Avoid burnout by setting boundaries
Learn how to say no. Saying “yes” too often can be very unproductive since you can end up with too much on your plate. And saying yes directly or indirectly by your actions is distracting. Consider the number of calls, emails, texts, and social media requests you receive that ask you to “please reply immediately,” “support this cause” and more that take time away from doing more important things. Saying no does not only apply to running your spa or massage practice. It is equally important to say no to things that impact on personal goals.
Also do not overwork yourself. You need to take a break. You do not necessarily have to go out of town to decompress, though a week or two away is the best way to truly remove yourself from the day-to-day pressures and routine (if you shut off your smartphone and tablet). Take a drive or a hike; meet friends for lunch; if you have a hobby, pursue it or just sit and read a book. You might even want to take a class unrelated to massage.
Spend your time with positive, uplifting people among your circle of friends and family. You may also want to network to find new people through business and social organizations. Positive people can be the best antidote when you are feeling overwhelmed, down, or negative.
Set your sights on a long and prosperous career in massage therapy and take care of body and mind to make it happen.
[1] “Massage Therapist Career Longevity: How to Protect Your Body,” Clinic Sense, May 25, 2024. https://clinicsense.com/blog/massage-therapist-career-longevity-how-to-protect-your-body
[2] Salamon, Maureen, “Self-Care: Your Massage Therapy Career is in Your Hands,” AMTA, November 13, 2017. https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/self-care-for-your-hands/
[3] Howenstein, Bing, “Make Posture Awareness Part of Your Self-Care,” July 28, 2015. https://www.massagemag.com/make-posture-awareness-part-of-your-self-care-31416/
[4] Braun, Mary Beth, “Putting Self-Care into Practice,” AMTA, September 14, 2010. https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/putting-self-care-into-practice/
[5] Arthur, Wendy, “Better Nutrition Helps Maintain Your Health—And Your Massage Practice,” Massage Magazine, December 28, 2018. https://www.massagemag.com/better-nutrition-massage-therapist-109262/